Sex and Secularity: An Introduction to "My Son the Fanatic"by Hanif Kureishi

Sex and Secularity

In a brilliant essay, Kureishi explains the fundamental
Islamist’s view of the West––all “sex and secularity over there, yaar,” as he
heard it put. Media has expanded its reach in a time of rampant Western
materialism, forcing the Third Worlder either to envy and aspire to Western
ideals, or to envy and reject them. Either way, it’s a life in relation to the
West, based on objectification and stereotypes. Kureishi argues that,
ultimately, it is the responsibility of art and culture to bring understanding.

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